Trainee Doctors block Shahbagh again, bringing Traffic to a standstill

Postgraduate trainee doctors from private medical institutions have once again taken to the streets, blocking the Shahbagh area in Dhaka, after rejecting the government’s latest decision to increase their monthly allowance by just Tk 5,000. 

The protesters are demanding a more substantial increase and have vowed to continue their movement until their demands are met.

Under the banner of Doctors Movement for Justice (DMJ), the protesting doctors are pushing for their monthly stipend to be raised to Tk 50,000. Medical students and trainees from various medical colleges have joined the protest, which they are calling a “Grand Rally.” 

They chanted slogans such as “We have only one demand, Tk 50,000 allowance,” “Meet the doctors’ demands now,” “Unity, unity, doctors’ unity,” and “No room for discrimination in 2024’s Bangladesh,” reported Bdnews24.com.

One of the protesting doctors, Mohammad Tanvir Rahman Dip, told Bdnews24.com, “Our demand was to raise the allowance from Tk 25,000 to Tk 50,000. We were promised that we would be granted the benefits of Grade 9, but that hasn’t happened. Instead, the government issued a notice raising the stipend by only Tk 5,000. We have rejected this. A new notice must be issued that either gives us a Tk 50,000 allowance or the benefits of Grade 9. Otherwise, we won’t leave the streets, and our protest will continue. The police and higher authorities are trying to scare us into leaving, but we’re standing firm.”

As a result of the protest, traffic in the busy Shahbagh area has been blocked since 11:30 AM on Sunday, according to police reports.

Khondaker Nazmul Hasan, Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Traffic), told Bdnews24.com, “The traffic situation is not normal. We are trying to manage it by diverting vehicles through alternative routes.”

In an effort to prevent chaos, a large number of police personnel have been deployed to the protest site. 

Armored vehicles and water cannons are also on standby to maintain order if the situation escalates.

Across the country, there are around 10,000 postgraduate trainee doctors. 

These doctors are pursuing advanced education while simultaneously providing patient care at various government hospitals and medical institutes.

The demand for an increase in their allowance has been ongoing since 2022. 

Following earlier protests, the government under the Awami League increased the monthly stipend by Tk 5,000 to Tk 25,000 in July 2024. 

However, the protesting doctors have repeatedly called this increase “unreasonable” and insufficient, continuing their push for a larger stipend.

After the interim government came to power, the trainee doctors reignited their movement, demanding another raise in their allowance. 

On December 22, they blocked Shahbagh, stopping traffic in the area. 

The protest was called off after Sarjis Alam, a leader of the anti-discrimination movement, assured them that their demands would be taken into account.

However, on December 23, the Finance Division issued a notice that raised the monthly allowance by Tk 5,000 for postgraduate trainee doctors who have passed the first part of the FCPS (Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons) exam, bringing the stipend to Tk 30,000.

In response, the Doctors Movement for Justice rejected the decision, releasing a statement saying, “Breaking promises with postgraduate private trainee doctors is nothing new. 

But in this new Bangladesh, we will no longer accept any form of discrimination.”